


Crunching Leaves

by MoonCat457



Series: Tumblr Prompts [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Sweater Weather - Lumosinlove
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hockey, Autumn, Competition, Fluff, Inspired by Sweater Weather | Coast to Coast - lumosinlove, M/M, Prompt Fic, Seasonal, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:48:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27553354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonCat457/pseuds/MoonCat457
Summary: Just some fall loveliness, because I love Lumosinlove’s hockey boys.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Series: Tumblr Prompts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1964032
Kudos: 35





	Crunching Leaves

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Sweater Weather](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20750912) by [lumosinlove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lumosinlove/pseuds/lumosinlove). 



> This was based on a prompt from [this list](https://mooncat457writing.tumblr.com/post/631188183956193280/50-autumn-writing-prompts). I posted this one separately so I could link it to Sweater Weather. All other ficlets from the autumn prompt list can be found in this collection can be found [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26917948/chapters/65689378).

“Sirius, you’re making me dizzy,” Remus said from the couch finally, after watching his boyfriend pace in circles around their living room for the past half an hour. When Remus had talked him into getting off their basement ice rink, he hadn’t meant for him to replace skating laps for walking ones. 

Sirius stopped and looked apologetically at him. “Désolé, mon loup. I’m just restless.”

“It’s ok, baby. Just come here and sit down.” Remus patted the space on the couch next to him and lifted the blanket on his lap in invitation. “You should get some rest before tonight. Coach canceled morning skate today for a reason. You’ve all been working so hard. You need a break.”

It was the same logic he’d used earlier to get Sirius to come upstairs and shower, but clearly, it hadn’t sunk in. Sirius was stressed; Remus knew that. The Lions had their first game of the season that night, and all week the captain had been on edge—working himself to the bone at practices, obsessively going over starting lines, sacrificing sleep to watch game footage from the previous season. And Remus was trying his best to get him to relax, but nothing he tried succeeded in getting Sirius out of his own head. 

“I can’t. I know you’re trying to help, and on a normal day, I’d love nothing more than to be cuddled up with you on the couch, but I can’t sit still, Loops.” Sirius sighed and started pacing again. “Everyone’s looking at us now. We won a cup, and now the entire league’s eyes are on the team, and I’m their captain, which means they’re all looking at me and—”

Remus got up and stood in his way to stop his pacing. “Come here, baby.”

He sighed and circled his arms around Remus’ waist, and Remus brought his hands to cup the back of Sirius’ neck, letting his fingers tangle slightly in his now longer black waves. Ever superstitious, Sirius had left his hair the length it was when they’d won the cup last season, wanting to carry that energy into the next season. Remus thought it was ridiculous, but he couldn’t lie and say that he didn’t like the new look.

“Yes, the whole league is looking at us right now, but that’s because we’re at our best, and you’re the one who led us here. Not everything is on your shoulders, though. Yes, you’re our captain, but we still carry the weight with you.”

He smiled and stooped down to bury his face in Remus’ neck. “How do you always know what to say?”

“It’s my job.” Remus turned to press a kiss to his temple. “Now, come on. We’re going out.”

He pulled away and quirked his eyebrow. “Quoi?”

“You’re clearly not going to be able to sit here and relax, but we need to get you out of your head. So we’re going out.” He pressed a quick kiss to Sirius’ lips. “Now get your shoes on,” he said as he turned him around and lightly shoved him toward the door. 

Sirius tripped over his feet in a moment of uncharacteristic clumsiness, but caught himself, then had the audacity to giggle and toss a lopsided smile over his shoulder. 6’3” hockey players should not be that cute when they giggle. “You’re cute when you put on your serious trainer voice.”

Remus smirked and pointed at the front door. “Shoes.”

“Yes, sir,” he responded with a wink. 

They laced their shoes and stepped out into the cool, early-October air, starting down the street toward the rest of the neighborhood. They walked in silence for a while, just enjoying the cold air on their skin and the scenery of leaves turning to various shades of red, orange, gold, and brown. Within fifteen minutes, Remus felt some of the tension that had been radiating off Sirius start to fade, then smiled as Sirius’ hand found Remus’, lacing their fingers together. 

“Thanks, Re. I think this might have been what I needed,” Sirius murmured, giving Remus’ hand a squeeze.

“Of course, baby,” he murmured back, bringing their laced hands up to his mouth to press a kiss to the tips of Sirius’ fingers. 

They continued along the street, turning onto different blocks on occasion but not with any rhyme or reason. As they came around a bend, Remus happened to step on a fallen, dead leaf, which made a satisfying crunch under the sole of his shoe. He smiled and let out a content sigh. “That’s one of my favorite sounds,” he mused, breaking the companionable silence between them.

“Leaves crunching?” Sirius asked.

“Yeah. It reminds me of being a kid.”

Sirius tilted his head in an adorably confused way. 

“You know when you were a kid, and you would be walking around trying to find the crunchiest leaf to step on?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t exactly have a joy-filled childhood.”

Remus frowned and opened his mouth to apologize, but Sirius continued. 

“I bet I could find a crunchier leaf than you, though.”

“Everything is a competition with you,” Remus said, shaking his head fondly.

Sirius grinned wide, the first genuine smile Remus had seen on his face for nearly a week. “Only things I know I can win,” he said playfully before looking down at the leaf-covered ground and stepping on a particularly dry looking leaf. 

“Oh, you’re on then,” Remus fired back. “I’m sure I can find a better one than that. I’m pretty much an expert.”

Sirius let go of Remus’ hands, pushed up his hoodie’s sleeves, and waggled his eyebrows at him. “An expert, huh?” 

Then he was off, and within minutes, Remus felt like a kid again. They scoured the ground for the driest of leaves, staying a few feet apart to provide some decorum for their competition. But that didn’t last long, because as they turned another corner, they both spotted a massive oak leaf already folded in on itself and starting to crumble. They glanced at each other, then sprinted toward it. Sirius may have been a professional hockey player, but Remus was smaller and faster, so he quickly overtook Sirius and jumped on the leaf, smiling at the loud, satisfying crunch it let out. 

“Dammit, Loops, I forget how fast you—Hang on, how did I not notice that you were wearing my hoodie until now?”

“You’ve been a little preoccupied,” Remus replied over his shoulder. 

“C’est tout simplement inacceptable,” Sirius said, shaking his head. “I should not be so in my own head that I don’t even notice my boyfriend wearing my clothes.” He closed the distance between them in a few long strides and brought up a hand to trace over the lettering on the back spelling out ‘BLACK 12’ in large, black, block letters. 

“What is it with you and the whole ‘me wearing your gear’ thing?” Remus asked with a slightly smug smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 

“I like seeing my name stitched across your back. It looks good on you,” he admitted softly before wrapping his arms around Remus’ was it from behind and hooking his chin over his shoulder. 

Remus’ heart fluttered. He’d expected a cheeky answer about it driving him wild like the jersey usually did, not an answer that seemed to carry some weight to it. He wasn’t sure what to say in response to that, so he just rested his hands on top of Sirius’ where they rested on his stomach. 

“Should we head back so you can try to get a pre-game nap in?” He asked after a moment. 

“Only if you join me,” Sirius said. 

“I will if you promise to actually try to nap,” he said sternly. 

“Promise.”

“Then yeah, let’s head home.” 

He felt Sirius smile against his neck.

“Race you,” Sirius whispered before letting him go and sprinting off in the vague direction of their street. 

“Wha—?” Remus spluttered. “For heaven’s sake, not everything is a race, Sirius!” He shouted after him. 

But he took off at a run anyway, because dammit, he wasn’t going to just _let_ Sirius win, and after all, he was faster. 

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on [Tumblr](https://mooncat457writing.tumblr.com/) for more random writing from me or to request something!


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